Gold Bars vs Gold Bullion: What Buyers Should Know

The terms gold bar and gold bullion often get used interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different products and serve different buyer profiles.

Gold bars

Gold bars are cast or minted in standard weights (1g – 1kg most common, with 12.5kg London Good Delivery bars used institutionally). They typically come stamped with a serial number, refiner mark and assay.

Gold bullion

Bullion is a broader term covering investment-grade physical gold in any standardized form, including bars, ingots and large-format casts. Refineries and institutional buyers usually transact in bullion rather than retail bars.

Which is right for you?

Smaller investors and jewelers usually prefer bars for resale flexibility. Refineries and institutional buyers prefer bullion for cost efficiency.